TABLE OF CONTENTS The New York Times Abstract:
After months of vigorously defending the safety of the fuel systems in its Pinto automobile, the Ford Motor Company today announced the recall of 1.5 million of the subcompacts for "modifications" of the fuel system aimed at increasing resistance to leakage and diminishing the risk of fire in the event of rear-end crashes. (Stuart, 1978)
When Henry Ford began to market the Model T, the first mass-produced automobile, in 1908, its design had no specific provisions for safety. Until 1955, safety door locks were not installed in any model, even though doors opened in 42% of all serious crashes until that time. In general, the public believed that the primary cause of accidents was improper driving. The entire safety establishment, which was heavily influenced by the auto industry, promoted the view that safety meant "safe behavior by drivers" (Dirksen, 1997).
The Ford Motor Company attempted to change this viewpoint in 1956, when it introduced its "Lifeguard Design." This new design involved equipping cars with a deep-dish steering wheel, padded seatbacks, swing-away rearview mirrors, safety door latches, safety belts, padded dashboards, and padded sun visors and rearview mirrors (Dirksen, 1997). The intent of these features was to minimize the effect of a driver colliding with the inside of his or her car during a crash. Unfortunately, General Motors (G.M.) Chevrolet's emphasis on new design and a more powerful V-8 engine led to more sales than Ford that...
